Well, the recession must be over. Or so it seems. I watch guitar prices very closely and pay special attention to some well respected dealers of new and vintage American made guitars: Elderly Instruments, My Favorite Guitars, and Gruhn Guitars. There are others of course but these three are pretty good indicators of what the current market is doing – and where it’s going. A couple years ago prices were pretty much stagnant. The very high end collectable vintage guitars kept increasing in price but at a modest level (although in no way, shape or form can we call those prices modest!) but the average Martin, Taylor and Gibson guitars stayed pretty much the same for well over a year. Then prices began creeping up and in the last six months those prices of run-of-the-mill American guitars have shown a noticeable increase, in most cases in the range of 10% - 15% above what they were about a year ago. There are way too many variables to make an accurate assessment of why prices do what they do. Availability of premium wood, cost of production, even things like shipping costs are obvious but the intangibles like popularity of specific models (driven by exposure, i.e., use by famous musicians see on TV) and even internet chatter play into the equation. Without question the biggest challenge faced by premium guitar manufacturers is a reliable supply of good quality wood. Bob Taylor made a very interesting video a few months ago about the shortage of ebony and his solution has been to buy a mill in Africa and contract to secure a supply of that wood, which is the preferred material for fretboards. Gibson is still in the middle of a huge scandal involving their buying of banned Madagascar rosewood. Martin continues to experiment with using their HPL material (High Pressure Laminate) for the necks and sometimes even the bodies of their lower priced guitars, some of which are now being made in Mexico to save on labor costs. I’m not privy to what the boutique makers are doing about the problem of wood supply but in my favorite magazine, Fretboard Journal, small makers always talk about the issue. This shortage is a big factor in the incredible rise in prices of fairly recent “vintage” instruments. For example, ANY Martin D-28 made before mid 1969 is made of Brazilian rosewood and the prices of even mid to late 60s D-28s have gone through the roof. Gruhn and Elderly list average condition 1967 – 1969 D-28s for at least $5000 now; the same guitars cost about $1000 less as recently as a year ago. Less common rosewood Martins of the same years like 000-28, D-21 and D-35 go for even more. Even the average D-18 (made of mahogany) from the 60s now goes for at least $3000 and in most cases closer to $4000. And because of some construction techniques used by Martin back then and owners over the years who did not humidify the guitars properly it is rare to find any Martin from that era that does not have cracks in the body. There is plenty of debate about what this should or should not do to the value of the instrument but suffice to say, at least from the big deal dealers, cracks don’t seem to affect the values at all. There is some irony here. Just because a guitar is made of Brazilian rosewood does not necessarily mean it’s going to sound great. I know this may sound somewhat sacrilegious to guitar aficionados but I stand by that statement. While almost all Martins sound at least very good, there are some dogs out there, even ones made of Braz. I’ve played quite of few D-28s from the 60s and there were a couple that I’d love to own but quite frankly, your average recent D-28 and especially the HD-28s with their scalloped bracing sound just as good as the average 1960s D-28 – and in some cases, better. A student of mine just purchased a brand new D-28 and it has that classic Martin resonance and power. And at a 40% discount (common from many of the dealers) it cost him well under $2000. Add to that the fact that Martin still offers their limited lifetime warranty to original owners and a smart buyer should think long and hard about whether they should invest in a “recent vintage” Martin or a brand new one. However, it should be noted that unlike those 60s Martins that have increased in value ten-fold over their original price it is unlikely newer ones will see that level of value in, say, 30 years. There is a very simple and basic reason for this: Martin makes many, many more guitars today than they did in the 1960s. This means that even 30 years from now there will be many more guitars available on the used market, just as there are today when considering Martins from the 1970s, 80s and 90s. If I was a player looking to maximize my investment in my first really nice guitar and getting the lifetime warranty wasn’t that important I would be looking at guitars from those decades for the best values. So what will happen in the next few years? My guess is that prices for new American made guitars – and even the higher end imported ones – will continue to rise at a rate of at least 5% - 10% per year. At the same time as the market becomes saturated with recently made used guitars the price a seller of a guitar he bought new will be proportionately lower. I continue to be amazed by the prices I see on EBay for recent, used Martins, Taylors and Gibsons – they are in almost every case unreasonably high. How many of those guitars are actually sold, I do not know. Bottom line: if you’re considering a brand new Martin, Taylor, Gibson or other high end guitar you should probably go for it, after doing some research to find the best price. Those prices may not rise as quickly, but they are certainly not going to stay the same. If you’re thinking about a used premium guitar, you’re in luck. There are more choices out there than ever before. If you have your heart set on a vintage instrument, well, it most likely will be a good investment but be SURE you play it first and compare that sound to what’s out there now, brand new or recent. Peace & good music, Gene

OK, I admit it. At times I take myself way too seriously. Compounding this fault is the fact that I don’t pay anywhere near close enough attention to what’s going on in the popular music world. Sure, I watch the occasional in-concert segment on cable TV but in many cases (Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, various hip-hop “artists”) it’s only for a couple minutes to confirm that, yes, there is a lot of garbage out there. Oops, there I go again! Fortunately, my students often urge me to check out various people and often when I do I’m pleasantly surprised. Case in point: The Zac Brown Band. I’m very conflicted about the current state of so-called country music. Ultra slick artists turn me off but it’s important to remember that a certain amount of glitz and showmanship has been part of country music performances for the last 40 years or more, much more so than in rock (until recently anyway). I also get very cynical about how some country artists gain exposure – there is no doubt that image and how the record companies feel the average record buyer will relate to the artist on a personal level play huge parts in how much a company is willing to get behind that artist. Which brings me back to Zac Brown. He’s not sexy/cute like Keith Urban or others – I’m sure his company looked at him and saw an image of the slightly overweight, scraggly bearded pick-up truck driving demographic. And there wasn’t anyone out there with that look, which was something of an oversight on the part of the Nashville power brokers. Zac comes across with the good ol’ boy persona but there is something else there too. He gives out a certain self-deprecating humor that seems very real. So how about his music? Well, as with Kenny Chesney on a MUCH larger scale, Zac owes a great debt to another performer: Jimmy Buffet. In fact, they did a very highly rated TV special together and they were a perfect match both musically and in general image: a laid back, fun-loving couple of guys who just want to make some music, have a beer or three and then head down to the islands to kick back for while. Who can argue with that?! The bottom line is I’m going to learn a few Zac Brown tunes and use them with my students. There is no deep inner meaning in his lyrics and the chord structure is quite basic, but so what? Sometimes ya gotta just play and have fun and not be concerned with such things. Peace & good music, Gene

Their function is basically very simple: to loosen or tighten guitar strings to lower or raise the pitch so the guitar is “in tune,” meaning each string emits the exact pitch of each note. Sounds simple enough, right? And it should be. The problem is that in order to tune quickly and precisely the tuning machine post must turn in very small increments to dial in the pitch. In my opinion there is nothing so distracting – and unnecessary – as a guitar that’s not in tune. Yes, we have those wonderful digital tuners at our disposal these days, but if the mechanical tuning machine won’t find the correct note and most importantly, hold that perfectly in tune string without allowing it to stretch, keeping a guitar in tune can be an exercise in total frustration. The way a tuning machine works is really quite simple: one gear on the end of the post you turn with the knob on the end forces another gear at a 90-degree angle to turn the post that sticks up through the head of the guitar, onto which the string is attached. It’s the size of those gears or more accurately the teeth on those gears that determine how quickly the post turns. Those small gears must mesh and interface perfectly too, otherwise the machine feels “sloppy” – there is play in it that keeps the post from turning instantly when you turn the knob. If those gears are too large (a common fault of cheap machines on cheap guitar years ago) it is very, very difficult to find the exact point where you should stop turning to put the string is in tune. Fortunately, even on inexpensive guitars the machines that are used today are quite good. In fact, some of the Chinese manufacturers are making machines that are virtually identical in every way to the high priced, high quality machines made in the USA, Germany and Japan. But let’s suppose you’re not totally pleased with the tuning machines on your guitar and you would like to replace them. This is actually quite an easy job in most cases, although sometimes a bit of filing with round, fine file is necessary for the housing of the new machine to fit perfectly. More on that below. Here are some choices in high quality tuning machines: 1. Grover machines have been made in the USA for many decades and are or have been standard on many fine guitars, primarily Martins. The two most popular designs are the original Sta-Tites (an open tuner – no covering of the gear – that some players feel improves the sound of their guitars; and Rotomatics, which are an enclosed gear machine available in two sizes and finishes, mostly for cosmetic reasons. The Rotomatics used to be THE premier tuner due to a larger turning ration, self lubrication inside the covering and a screw that allows adjustment of how much pressure is needed to turn the knob. Some players feel that Rotomatics are just too “clunky” looking and prefer the finer, more traditional look of the Sta-Tites. All Grovers have an unlimited lifetime warranty and the cost for a set of either ranges from $30 or so up to about $50, depending on the finish. They are an excellent value. 2. Schaller machines are made in Germany, where engineering, design and fine construction are taken very seriously. From the mid 1970s right through to the present day the Schaller M6 has arguably been the most popular high quality machine on the market. Still standard on many Martins, Larrivee’s, some Gibsons and many boutique guitars they are available in two sizes, in silver or gold finish. With a gear ratio of 18-1, proprietary enclosed lubrication and a lifetime warranty, it’s not hard to understand why better than 7 million sets have been sold. You can find them through just about all the online music sites and in stores for about $60 a set. My own opinion is that the M6 tends to be a bit sloppy but they certainly hold the strings in tune very well. 3. Gotoh machines are a relative newcomer but have a solid following. They are made in Japan and China and their line includes high quality look-alike copies of Grovers, Schallers and even Klusons. They are generally less expensive than the two previously mentioned brands and most guitarists feel they perform very well. The premier Gotoh tuning machine is the 510 series. Taylor uses them on some of their high-end guitars and they cost upward of $125 a set depending on the size and finish. I feel that the 510 is the smoothest feeling, most accurate machine on the market. They are quite modern looking however and some may not want to put them on vintage or custom guitars that are made to look “vintage.” 4. Waverly machines are considered by many the absolute best premium grade, traditional single exposed gear machines. Hand made by a small company in Montana they are quite expensive – count on spending at least $140 for the silver version or $200 for the gold. There is no doubt they are classy looking and work well but I just have a tough time justifying spending that kind of money on tuning machines. My opinion only. 5. Kluson tuning machines were standard on almost all Gibson guitars, acoustic and electric for generations. They are still made by another company and made very well. They are a distinctive looking machine, part of the classic Gibson look with small rectangular coverings over the gear and ornate plastic or metal knobs. Their gear ratio is not as exacting as any of the previously mentioned brands but obviously they work quite well of Gibson would have dropped them decades ago. The new classic reproductions (called “waffle backs” for they decorative finish) have enclosed bodies and nylon worm bearings for smooth operation. Count on spending about $100 for these. There are a few other companies out there but these five constitute well over 90% of the premium guitar tuning machine market. If you do decide to change machines it is fairly likely that all it will involve is removing a screw or two, unscrewing a nut, removing an old housing and dropping a new metal housing into the hole in the guitar head, then putting a washer and a flat nut onto the housing, tightening, then screwing in the mechanism on the back of the head. The screw holes from the old tuners may or may not line up and you may have to fill old ones (I use the colored wax sticks sold in hardware stores for painters to cover screw holes) and screw in the new screws – be sure to drill a fine pilot hole first. Remember that three of the machines are “right hand” side and the others “left hand” side. If you have to do a bit of filing to expand the hole for the housing, use a high quality, fine rat tail file and work slowly, checking the size frequently. Always use masking tape around the hole to avoid cracking the finish along the edges. Installing new tuners is time and money well spent if the ones you’re using make tuning inexact and tedious. There really is no other upgrade that can make as much of a difference in your sound and playing experience. Peace & good music, Gene